1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casting reels for fishing and in particular to those having a fixed spool and a rear brake controlled from the reel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a reel of this type widely known and used. In this reel, the line reserve called spool or drum 1 is a part substantially of revolution formed from two radially extending side-plates joined together by a cylindrical hub extending axially from one side-plate to the other. The axis of the reel is approximately parallel to the spooling off direction of the line. The line spool is secured against rotation both for casting and for winding in. A crank handle causes a line recovery winder to rotation which rotates about the spool and winds in the line.
In most of the reels of this type known in the prior art, the spool is no longer fixed if the tension in the line exceeds a limit value chosen by the angler. For this, spool 1 is connected to the reel housing 13 through a kinematic chain which comprises at least one strain limiting device, also called brake. Spool 1 is fixed on shaft 2 by a clip 3 and a groove 4 engaging respectively with groove 5 and the pin 6 of the shaft. The shaft reciprocates axially with a translational movement under the action of a line winding system not shown in the Figure. The shaft thus slides to its other end in a sleeve 8 with which it is interlocked for rotation by two flats 7 on the shaft in engagement with corresponding internal flats in the sleeve 8. The outer surface of sleeve 8 comprises two flats 9 and receives washers 10 whose central hole has a section corresponding to the external section of the sleeve for sliding axially thereon without possibility of rotating. The sleeve comprises a flange 11 bearing against a stop forming part 18 of the housing 13 and on a cylindrical bearing surface 12 engaged in a bore of this same part 18 of the housing for centering the sleeve. Washers 14, fitted loosely on the sleeve and inserted between washers 10 have a radial extension which engages in a groove 15 in the housing for preventing rotation thereof. Washers 10 and 14 have appropriate friction properties. The sleeve 8, washer 10 and washer 14 assembly is axially compressed between the stop forming part 18 of the housing and a first spring 17 tensioned by a nut 16 for adjusting the braking torque.
Nut 16 is accessible from the rear of the reel so that there is no risk of mistaking it for the reel changing means, generally disposed at the front; it can be readily gripped because of its suitable size, and it is not disturbed by the presence of the line.
Limiting the tension of the line by means of the brake meets first of all the requirement of not breaking the line if the fish is too active to be brought in by force and must be played before being put into the landing net. Secondly, anglers have discovered that it is possible to catch some kinds of fish which take the bait very rapidly but release it if they feel the slightest resistance, by choosing a very low value for the maximum tension of the line. However, this method leads to many operations which may give rise to mistakes, for then this maximum tension must be increased for striking, playing, winding in the fish and putting it in the landing net. Furthermore, in some cases this value must be increased, for example so as to free the bait from an obstacle on which it is caught.
Patent No. FR-E-77644 to Rouanet divulged a reel with main brake controlled from the side by means of a screw urging, through a spring, a brake shoe against the outer surface of a cylinder interlocked for rotation with a spool. This device further comprises an auxiliary brake, actuated by a lever one end of which is controlled by the operator and the other end of which bears on the main brake shoe.
Such a device provides the auxiliary brake functions but has major drawbacks which have prevented its commercial development: thus, the auxiliary brake lever has a practically zero travel range, which makes adjustment of the braking torque very difficult, especially in the fishing sphere where one must react rapidly and accurately; furthermore, no means is provided for limiting the auxiliary braking torque, and it has been discovered that the use of such a device leads to frequent breaking of the line: in addition, the imbalance of the lever produces, through the effect of its weight, parasite braking due to the orientation of the reel. It will be noted that this auxiliary brake structure is not directly applicable to a main brake of the washer type.
The aim of the present invention is particularly to provide additional braking means in which the range of travel of the lever is not zero and is also independent of the adjustment of the rear brake. The user is in fact better able to regulate the braking force by adjusting the position of the lever rather than the pressure exerted thereon by hand. These means may be actuated by a resilient return lever providing immediate and simple efficiency.
With the invention, this additional braking is provided with a very few additional parts, more especially by using certain parts of the rear brake playing a double role and in a structure compatible with reels having a rear brake of the washer type.
Another advantage of the invention is that the position of the lever is independent of the adjustment of the rear brake and in particular its rest position is always the same. The angler may thus feel the additional braking which he is causing through the force he exerts on the lever. Moreover, it is important that there should be no additional braking when the lever is not actuated.
With the braking means of the invention, the additional braking torque may, in particular, be made substantially proportional to the movement of the lever alone, independently of the setting of the rear brake and over the whole of the usual braking range of this brake.
Breakage of the line is avoided in accordance with the invention by providing means constantly limiting the maximum additional braking torque provided by the additional brake.